Pleonasmos, DeptfordX

Posted on September 13, 2012

Pleonasmos is an illuminated floor installation in the galleries of St Pauls church, Deptford.

Last Autumn I cut through a shortcut beside St Paul’s church on Deptford High St and was curious to see inside having stumbled upon the impressive exterior. I was invited in by a member of the church who talked to me about its history and its place in Deptford as a site for worship.

The Italianate baroque style interior is stunning, definitely a hidden gem, as architect Thomas Archer’s style was heavily influenced and inspired by Borromini & Bernini while on a four year Grand Tour.

St Paul’s is one of fifty London churches commissioned by the 1711 London Churches Act, together with the more familiar Hawksmoor designed St Alfege’s, St Anne’s, Limehouse & St George in the East, they are collectively known as the Queen Anne churches.

I am interested in urban spaces that enrich and describe the city’s history as a site for living, telling rich visual tales of lives of London people. I have used derelict & vacated sites for previous installations. The process operates differently when set in a living church – it recalls a history of religious patronage linking architecture, art, patrons & artists.

This site specific work is an installation reorganizing & reproposing the elements of St Paul’s Baroque decoration in particular the highly ornate plasterwork in the church using everyday objects & illumination.

The Anglo catholic uses a style of presentation & ritual in which repetition & reiteration are part of the communication. Repetition and duplication are a means of disseminating information via virtual media

The title Pleonasmos the use of more words than are necessary considers a doubling up in real time. Often the sheer volume of people in the city requires a repetition of information just in order to reach the constant flow of those passing through. The peaceful interior of St Pauls allows time for that repetition to reverberate and slow so there is time to digest the information.